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Civil War Day 2: Casualties of War

Day 2 was an absolute massacre. As was expected, the level of competition at 2GGC: Civil War far outclasses any that has been seen before. That said, even with that knowledge in mind, I believe it is fair to say that no one could have expected the desolation left behind. Countless phenomenal players, such as MkLeo and ZeRo, met their demise without even approaching top 32. Some story lines collapsed in on themselves, while others reared their heads as players proved they were true threats among the best in the world.

TSM.ZeRo eliminated from the tournament at 49th place

The whole scene watched in awe as a virtually unknown Zero Suit Samus player named Luhtie utilized the infamous ladder combo to carry the God-King of Sm4sh off of the top of the Dreamland blast zone. The stream turned to static as the commentators screamed themselves hoarse. Mouths around the world dropped to the floor as the greatest Smash 4 player to ever play the game got eliminated from the most stacked tournament in the history of the game. Not only was he eliminated- but at 49th place.

Team ZeRo supporters wept openly in the streets. ZeRo himself dropped to the floor- instantly dead. In that moment we all knew- the throne now lies empty. As members of the Team ZeRo crew held an open-wake vigil for their God-King, the rest of the world clutched their bosoms with a gasp as they attempted to determine if this was truly real life. In the wake of the destruction, Captain Canada, C9.Ally himself, turned his face to the sky and solemnly muttered, “Am I next?”

Japan Invades

Japanese players always bring the hype. To the smash scene, Japan is like a mystical land far, far away, in which young adult men live in smash communes and spend their evenings grinding out tech skill in front of the television. If that isn’t the reality, the Japanese players could have had us fooled.

Looking forward to day two, of the 16 players in the winners side of the bracket, 10 of them are from Japan:

Earth- the Pit player

DNG.Nietono- a man both monkey and ninja

Kirihara- I hate Rosalina and Luma

komorikiri- the hero of Final Fantasy VII

Shuton- Mr. Pikman

T- the man living out every Legend of Zelda fan’s dreams

Tsu- the Lucario player who literally glows in real life as he takes percent

HIKARU- I think he plays Donkey Kong

LG.Abadango- the king of Pokémon

Ranai-

Japanese players are dominating the field, plain and simple. Only time will tell, but the odds seem quite strong that a Japanese player finds themselves in Grand Finals winners side. I, for one, welcome our new Japanese overlords.

Team Zero seeks a lieutenant

Eager to avenge their God-King, members of Team Zero scrambled to climb the ranks in the bracket. In some cases, players even cannibalized their own team, as with IMT.ANTi eliminating CLG.VoiD at 33rd. FOW, the boy wonder himself, was quick to right the dirty wrong Luhtie committed against his Lord, forcing him out of the tournament at 33rd. To FOW, no sin is greater than eliminating the God-King. To make matters worse, Luhtie himself was a member of #TeamZero. The pride of the Sm4sh community, a hope to all- but a blight that cut through Team Zero like a knife.

Looking forward to day two, both teams seem well represented. Though Ally still looks to take the tournament, the Team Zero crew is forced to search for a new lieutenant to wave their flag in grand finals. Will it be NRG.Nairo, the first man to ever knock ZeRo from his lofty perch? Will it be Ranai, ZeRo’s Japanese brother? What about Komorikiri, the hero of Final Fantasy VII? MSF.Larry Lurr must battle his way through the losers bracket if he intends to right the great wrong. ANTi was the original second in command, but ever since cannibalizing VoiD, his allegiance has been called into question. Finally, FOW sits calmly in the losers bracket. He takes solace in the fact that he was the one to truly avenge ZeRo. Which one will fly the flag in the final fight, if any?

The Saga Curse

Long has it been known that the 2GG curse strikes those after whom the sagas are named. Never before has a player won their own saga. Today, ZeRo fell to a merciless act of violence. Will Ally perish tomorrow? He sits precariously in the loser’s side of the bracket. He looks to Panda Global’s own ESAM for his next victory, a player who’s number he seems to have well memorized. That said, he cannot feel too confident, as the Saga Curse looms low on the eSports Arena.

The Civil War

The main event has yet to play out. ZeRo may have been eliminated in singles, and by a member of his own side of the war at that, but he has one more chance to redeem himself: the Crew Battle. Tomorrow evening the war will culminate in one 10 vs 10 crew battle featuring each captain’s chosen soldiers. Will the God-King bounce back and claim a victory over Team Ally at the main event? Or has the King truly been dethroned- demoralized and stripped of his pride? Only time will tell.

Looking Forward

Questions weigh heavily on the minds and hearts of Sm4sh fans around the world as they look on to day three. Each player has his story, but at the end of the day only one story will end in victory. The entirety of the scene now sits at the edge of their seats, patiently awaiting the finale of the greatest tournament in the history of our beloved game: 2GGC Civil War.